Covid-19: Over 14.67m receives first dose of vaccines in 3-day campaign

A total of 1,46,77,544 people received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines during the nationwide three-day campaign as the authorities dubbed the campaign as one of the largest drives in the world, reports BSS.

“The target of vaccination during the three-day campaign has been exceeded as 1,46,77,544 people received the first dose of vaccines... Bangladesh has set a target of administering one crore (10 million) doses of vaccines because the country launched one-day drive and subsequently it (campaign) turned into a three-day drive,” director general of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) professor Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam told BSS on Tuesday evening.

As many as 1,11,74,725 people were immunised with the first dose of coronavirus vaccine on 26 February (the first day of campaign), 19,33,775 vaccinated on 27 February (second day of campaign) while 15,69,44 people received first dose of Covid-19 jabs on the concluding day of the drive (28 February), he added.

“With concerted efforts of all, particularly physicians, medical technologists and health workers, we have achieved unprecedented feat of administering this large number of people. This means Bangladesh has advanced one step forward in expansion of vaccination coverage across the country,” Alam added.

As of 26 February, a total of 20,71,44,688 doses of Covid-19 vaccines including booster dose were administered across the country.

“A total of 12,07,56,056 people were administered the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine till 26 February while 8,27,54,951 received the second dose across the country during the same period,” according to the data of Management Information System of the health directorate.

As many as 36,33,681 people received the booster dose of Covid- 19 vaccine to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, it added.

Of the total number of vaccine doses during the first day of campaign, 1,11,74,725 people received the first dose of coronavirus vaccines while 815,073 received the second dose and 73,855 received booster dose during the same period, the DGHS added.

A total of 20,99,37,805 doses of Covid-19 vaccines including booster dose were administered till 27 February, 2022.

“A total of 12,26,89,831 people were administered the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine till 27 February while 8,35,29,389 received the second dose across the country during the same period,” the DGHS added.

As many as 37,18,585 people received the booster dose of Covid- 19 vaccine to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, it added.

Of the total vaccination doses till 27 February 19,33,775 people received the first dose of coronavirus vaccines on the second day of the campaign while 77,44,38 received the second dose and 84,904 received booster dose during the same period, the DGHS added.

As of 28 February, a total of 21,23,88,256 doses of Covid-19 vaccines including booster dose were administered across the country.

“A total of 12,42,58,875 people have been administered the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine till 28 February while 8,43,26,234 received the second dose across the country during the same period,” the DGHS added.

As many as 38,03,147 people received the booster dose of Covid- 19 vaccine to prevent the spread of the deadly virus, it added.

Of the total vaccination doses on the third day of campaign, 15,69,044 people received the first dose of coronavirus vaccines, while 77,96,845 received the second dose and 84,562 received booster dose during the same period, the DGHS added.

The three-day nationwide mass vaccination campaign ended yesterday (28 February) achieving a milestone of success in administering around 1.5 crore people with first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

“Earlier, Bangladesh set a target to vaccinate one crore people with first doses during the mass vaccination campaign... but we extended the one-day campaign into three-day drive as a huge number of people thronged vaccination infrastructures,” Alam added.

“We have fixed a target to inoculate 70 percent people with both doses of Covid-19 jabs,” he said, adding this three-day mass vaccination coverage has already made a remarkable contribution to fulfill the goal.,” the DGHS DG added.

The government engaged a large number of medical professionals -- physicians, medical technologist and health workers -- across the country.

With sincere efforts of all, Bangladesh has reached a milestone of success in the Covid-19 vaccination coverage, which will create a shield against the deadly virus, the health service chief added.

“If necessary, we will launch such mass vaccination campaign to bring all eligible people under inoculation coverage as it has been proved that expansion of vaccination is a very effective remedy to prevent the spread of the lethal virus,” Alam added.

The vaccination campaign for administering the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines began at 8:00am daily and it continued throughout the day, he added.

“During the past three days of the campaign, all eligible people thronged the designated vaccination centres and booths to receive Covid-19 jabs...we monitored the nationwide mass vaccination campaign to make it successful to fight the disease,” Alam added.

Earlier, the government set a target to complete the first dose of coronavirus vaccine on 26 February, but it (government) decided to continue the campaign for two more days to reach remarkable progress in the first dose of vaccination coverage, he added.

According to the DGHS, the nationwide mass vaccination campaign was conducted successfully as people thronged vaccination centers, makeshift and mobile booths to receive first dose of vaccines.

With administering the total doses of vaccine so far, the government has brought 73 per cent people under vaccination coverage with first, second and booster doses, Health Minister told a function recently.

Bangladesh has set an impressive success on vaccination coverage as the country has already inoculated 21 crore doses of vaccine, he said adding, “We have been able to control three waves of coronavirus due to multiple initiatives including expansion of the vaccination programme.”

Bangladesh secured 10th position in the vaccination programme and the ongoing mass vaccination campaign will push the country into a new feat covering fully unvaccinated people to fight the Covid-19, the health minister added.

“Since mid-February, we have geared up significantly the Covid-19 vaccination programme and we will scale up our efforts to reach the target at the quickest possible time,” Alam added.

He said, “We went door to door at grassroots level to bring all people under the first dose of vaccination coverage. For this we extended the campaign till 28 February,” he added.

Alam attributed the controlling of third wave of Covid-19 that hit Bangladesh mid-January this year, to expansion of vaccination coverage, including booster dose.

“We have laid emphasis on vaccination coverage as it (vaccine) has reduced both fatalities and rising of positivity rate of Covid-19... more than 80 per cent deaths linked to coronavirus are unvaccinated people,” Alam added.

“During the campaign, people were allowed to receive Covid-19 vaccines without registration or any documents from any centre,” Shamsul Haque, member secretary of the National Covid-19 Vaccine Management Taskforce, said.

“We gave maximum number of people the first dose of vaccine during the three-day drive,” Shamsul said, adding all respective hospitals and vaccination centres have been directed to immunise coronavirus vaccine without any registration.

“The main objective of mass vaccination campaign was to bring all vulnerable groups of people under vaccination coverage... meaning a significant progress of administering first dose of Covid-19 inoculation is ensured,” he added.

“A total of 30,000 vaccination booths were set up across the country alongside mobile inoculation centres from city corporations to union levels,” he said, adding 145,000 health workers were engaged at these vaccination booths and inoculation centres.

People received Covid-19 vaccines only by giving mobile number, he said, adding that, “The people, who received the first dose of coronavirus vaccine, have been given a card... this card was given as a document for receiving second or booster dose.”

After a good progress on the first dose of Covid-19 vaccination coverage, Shamsul said, “We will focus on second and booster dose to scale up vaccination programme across the country.”

Three vaccination centres were set up at each union across the country while five mobile vaccination centres were set up to inoculate the people at each upazila and 20 mobile centres at each district, the health service official said.

As many as 30 mobile vaccination centres were set up at each zone of two city corporations of Dhaka while 40 vaccination centres were set up at Narayanganj city corporations, Shamsul added.

A total of 60 mobile vaccination centres were set up at each zone of Barishal, Sylhet, Cumilla and Mymensingh while 25 mobile vaccination centres will extend their inoculation services at Khulna, Rajshahi, Chattogram and Rangpur.